Chief Mentor’s Lectures

Invited lecture: The mysterious world of quantum computing on October 16, 2011 at the IEEE Workshop on Modern Computing Trends, Basaveshwar Engineering College , Bagalkot, Karnataka. The presentation slides can be found here.

Chief Guest: The World of Biotechnology Patents, International Symposium on Collaborative Research in Frontier Areas, April 06, 2009, Bangalore.

Invited lecture: Intellectual Property: The next step for achieving service excellence, Infosys STAR Conclave: Banking and Capital Markets, July 14, 2006, at Bangalore. Also participated in panel discus-sion.

Invited lecture: The world is ruled by ideas, L&T, June 16, 2006 at Mysore.

Invited lecture: Relation between information theory, thermodynamics and digital computers – a view from the works of Shannon to IBM’s Landauer and Charles Bennett, jointly hosted by IIITM-Kerala, IEEE Kerala Chapter, and Centre for Development of Advanced Computing-Thiruva-nanthapuram, Travan-core Hall, Techno-park, April 16, 2005.

Invited lecture: An algorithm for determining the equivalence of two blocks of assignment state-ments, Technical Experts Council – India (South), affiliated to the IBM Academy of Technology, at Bangalore April 08, 2005.

Invited lecture: An algorithm for determining the equivalence of two blocks of assignment statements, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and February 09, 2005.

Why Faradays and Maxwells?

The global knowledge economy, at its core, is driven by science-based innovative technologies. For any country to remain a major economic power in such an economy, it must vastly improve and increase its pool of scientists and technologists. In this economy, the ability to intelligently choose from a set of concepts to bear upon an unsolved problem is of essence.

The search for the likes of Faradays and Maxwells is deliberate. They are exemplars of what the human mind is capable of achieving. The world’s thriving electrical and electronics industry, on which so much of the quality of our lives depends, is due to them. Michael Faraday (1791 –1867)) (who didn’t know mathematics), towards the end of his career, gave to science the concept of electric and magnetic fields, and in 1865 James Maxwell (1831 – 1879) (who knew a great deal of mathematics) gave Faraday’s abstract concept a compact mathematical embodiment (which awed Faraday). Thus was laid the foundation of a phenomenal industry and the harnessing of a force of Nature that has changed the face of human civilization. Alexander Graham Bell’s patent on the telephone (perhaps the most important patent in history) came soon after in 1876.

Amazingly, and with the benefit of hindsight, the common thread between Faraday and Maxwell was their ability to think and reason in abstract terms about the real world and eventually map them to measurable real world effects. Since the days of Galileo Galilei, modern science and mathematics have happily complemented each other by inventing and sharing concepts and ideas on a foundation of axiomatic reasoning. Modern mathematics is mainly deductive and essentially axiomatic, while modern science is mainly inductive and axiomatic to the extent it uses mathematics. The language of all advanced science (physics, in particular) is mathematics (which combines amazing symbolic brevity with reasoning). The ability of humans to frame and work with abstract concepts provide the vital link between mathematics and science.

Executing a known mathematical algorithm is no longer considered an intellectual activity because, as Alan Turing showed in 1936, it is mechanizable and can be accomplished without the benefit of insight. It can be performed by a human mathematician who has unlimited time and energy, an unlimited supply of paper and pencils, perfect concentration, and works according to some algorithmic or ‘rule-of-thumb’ method—an ideal characterization of a “techno-coolie”. However, creating new concepts in mathematics, and new algorithms requires intelligence of a rare kind as does using mathematics to connect observations in the real world. The epitome of human ingenuity is creating new and useful concepts.

Raw talent

By raw talent, we mean those rare, mentally agile, naturally-gifted, free-thinking individuals who are the key to an organization’s success. They are rare because of their ability to do out-of-the-box, rational scientific thinking and who possess an ability to continuously expand their knowledge base in diverse areas including science and mathematics, deal with multiple disciplines and are capable of technology mobility (move from one “core” area to another). That is, they would be individuals with the potential ability to generate innovative and patentable technology. They would be better able to deal with the problems that may arise during the development of futuristic technologies. Our focus is on molding unpolished talent who can fulfill the unmet or undreamed needs of society.

What we do?

We help people act with insight.

We help companies grow from the inside.

We help employees turn into thinkers.

We ignite thought

If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an idea, which an individual may exclusively possess as long as he keeps it to himself; but the moment it is divulged, it forces itself into the possession of every one, and the receiver cannot dispossess himself of it. Its peculiar character, too, is that no one possesses the less, because every other possesses the whole of it. He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.

The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of them. --Linus Pauling

There is no way to find the best design except to try out as many designs as possible and discard the failures. --Freeman Dyson

It is insight that allows one to see opportunities. Without insight and without a novel and non-obvious working solution, there is no innovation. Technology is now heavily driven by advancements in science; hence those possessing scientific insights will play a crucial role in the future creation of innovative products and processes that have social and economic value. Bearing this in mind, we conduct brain-stimulating sessions on specific scientific and technological topics or areas. These sessions are useful for organizations which would like to create an innovative culture among their employees as a strategic part of the organization’s growth program. This program is particularly suited for start-ups whose members want to break away from the bonds of rote learning and become free-thinking individuals. The focus is on making people realize their inborn capability to innovate if they would make an effort to open their minds, presently closed due to years of rote learning. The idea is to turn people into explorers of ideas. Brain stimulation sessions are not brain-storming sessions. Participants in brain stimulation sessions should have suitable scientific and technical knowledge related to the topic of discussion.

Brain stimulation sessions take note of the fact that the information age is intrinsically different from the industrial age. The Supreme Court of the United States in Bilski v. Kappos, 561 U.S. __ (2010) (Bilski at 10) has aptly noted:

[The Information] Age puts the possibility of innovation in the hands of more people and raises new difficulties for the patent law. With ever more people trying to innovate and thus seeking patent protections for their inventions, the patent law faces a great challenge in striking the balance between protecting inventors and not granting monopolies over procedures that others would discover by independent, creative application of general principles.

Brain stimulating sessions should not be used by a client as an indirect means of eliciting solutions to its scientific and technical problems when a consulting engagement is more appropriate. Clients should take adequate precautions to ensure that any form of client-confidential information is not exposed in these sessions by those attending from the client’s side.

In a competitive world where economic survival depends on being innovative, significant problems generally require beyond the state-of-the-art knowledge to find a solution. That is why competitive advantage devolves on societies which provide quality university education, foster well-complemented university-industry R&D collaborations, and are willing to welcome brains-in-circulation from anywhere in the world. Most people seem to forget that R&D and innovation are twin sisters.

Part I Copyright, trademark, trade secret

Some basic aspects of intellectual property rights related to copyright, trademark, and trade secret will be discussed. Patents will be discussed in the next lecture.

Part II Patent

This lecture will cover matters related to patentability, who can be named as an inventor in a patent, and ownership of patents. Important aspects related to the preparation of a patent application will also be discussed.

Part III Patent prosecution

Prosecution is the process by which a patent application is defended before the patent office before it takes a decision on the patent application. The process is both time consuming and rigorous. It typically consists of arguing in writing with an examiner about claims: over prior art, technical details, legal precedents, and claim language specifics. Important aspects related to patent prosecution will be discussed.

Part IV Infringement & litigation

Getting patents which will be found valid, enforceable and infringed when involved in patent infringement litigation are crucial. Infringed patents can be enforced through litigation; a patent is essentially the right to sue. Infringement and litigation is mainly about the power to regulate the manner in which goods and services are sold; it is not about the way people use those goods and services. Getting a patent and getting an enforceable patent are two different things. Important aspects related to infringement and litigation will be discussed.

Part V The ‘Bayh-Dole’ Acts

The Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 enacted in the U.S. in 1980 has been emulated by several other countries. After years of expectation, India too introduced a similar bill titled “Protection and Utilization of Public Funded Intellectual Property Bill 2008” in the Rajya Sabha on December 15, 2008. We examine the possible impact of the bill should it become law in light of experiences in the U.S. and Japan.